The California Department of Justice building has become ground zero over a collection of artwork that critics have attacked for being ‘anti-American.’ The most controversial painting depicts the U.S. flag in the shape of the United States being flushed down a toilet.

Thursday night the debate was elevated to new heights as more than 600 hundred people gathered to both support and oppose the display titled “A Creative Merger: Artists & Lawyers”.

Law enforcement officers stood in between the two sides to keep the peace, with emotions running high at times. 

On one side were those who felt the controversial artwork was not appropriate for display in a public building that is supported by taxpayer funding.

Move America Forward in conjunction with Sacramento radio talk show host, Mark Williams of KFBK 1530, put together the “I LOVE AMERICA” art exhibit on the sidewalks in front of Attorney General Lockyer’s offices.  The purpose was to show what they called a ‘pro-American alternative’ to the controversial exhibit inside.

After Move America Forward announced their plans for the event, anti-war protestors put out a statement saying they would counter with their own protest.  And both sides turned out in force.

Move America Forward’s supporters sang the national anthem, chanted “USA, USA, USA” and performed the pledge of allegiance.

“It dumbfounds me that the State Attorney General would sponsor an anti-American art exhibit and put it on display in a taxpayer funded facility,” said Melanie Morgan, Chairman of Move America Forward.

“Taxpayers should not be forced to endorse messages that seek to undermine our nation and the men and women serving in our military,” Morgan explained.

On hand to support Move America Forward’s efforts was Deborah Johns of Northern California Marine Moms.  Johns filed a hate crime charge against the Stephen and Virginia Pearcy after they erected a display of a U.S. soldier hanged from a noose with an American flag crumpled into a helmet to represent the soldier’s head.

The effigy included a sign reading “Bush Lied, I Died.”

Johns expressed her disgust that Lockyer would sponsor a display that included artwork by Pearcy that degraded the country and the American flag.
“How come the Attorney General supports that, but does not support an exhibit of art that supports our troops serving in Iraq?” asked Johns.  Her son, a Recon Marine, returned last October from a tour of duty in Iraq.

On the other side were supporters of the exhibit who said they supported the exhibit.  They chanted “Bush Lied, Soldiers Died,” and expressed their view that critics of the display were trying to censor the artwork.  Several times their chants of “Sieg Heil” rang out in unison.

“I’m out here for freedom of speech.  Just because art doesn’t say what you want it to say doesn’t mean it should be disallowed,” explained Velvet McKenzie of Antelope.

Those who support the exhibit also explained that they believed anti-war displays were important and that it was appropriate to showcase them in public buildings.

“Lies got us into this war.  I am out here protesting the war, and now some people are trying to infringe upon the Constitution,” said Al Ezell with the group Veterans for Peace. 

The State Attorney General says that no taxpayer funds are involved in the displaying of the exhibit, however the exhibit was co-sponsored by Lockyer and the California Arts Council which receives millions of dollars each year in taxpayer funds.  One of the private sponsors cited by the California Arts Council as a financier of the display, River City Bank, demanded that their name be removed from the list of sponsors.  They say they provided no funding for the exhibit.

In the press release announcing the exhibit, Lockyer and the California Arts Council were listed as the co-sponsors of the event.  Lockyer praised the “style and beauty” of the pieces which included an image of Lady Justice shackled in a prison cell with blood streaming down and a ghostly hooded soldier from the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

Another image features a Palestinian refugee behind barbed wires with the heading “Stop U.S. Financed Genocide in the Middle East.”

To contrast what they called ‘anti-military’ and ‘anti-American’ art, Move America Forward also displayed several hundred pieces of patriotic artwork sent from around the nation and as far away as Alberta, Canada.

One piece included a five-foot iron replica of the 9/11 memorial displayed in the fields of Shanksville, Pennsylvania following the crash of Flight 93 on September 11, 2003.

Dozens of images of the American flag and representations of U.S. troops were drawn or painted by schoolchildren who participated in the program.

Other pieces included exquisite oil paintings featuring a slice of Americana.

Red, white and blue were on display in just about every piece of art in the “I LOVE AMERICA” display.

Some were critical of the displays.

Ken White of Elk Grove said he came out to protest the event because he said he was, “afraid since it was a staged event that only the right-wing would be represented.”

As the afternoon turned to evening things settled down as many of those who came out to protest the Move America Forward sponsored event departed.

With the decibel level having dropped, Move America Forward’s Executive Director, Mark Washburn, invited participants in the crowd to speak.

One of those people was Beverly Hahn whose two sons serve in the military; her son Chris serves in the U.S. Navy, and her son Nathan is a Marine.

“I came out today because I love America,” she explained.

“I know my sons are doing their service for America, and I want to be here to support them as my own service,” said Hahn.

Supporters of Move America Forward’s event came not just from Sacramento, but throughout the state, and even a handful came in from other states.

On hand with a banner reading “Liberalism is a mental disorder” was Tim Buehler of the High School Conservative Clubs of America. 

He explained that he made the drive up from the Bay Area to, “support the military and the war against terrorism.”

Buehler said he was compelled to, “take a stand for our country and to support our troops in the Middle East.”

He also said he wanted to “stand against anti-Americanism being expressed by the Hollywood Left.”

Another Bay Area attendee was George Schaefer who heard about the rally on talk radio.  He drove a 1941 Dodge ambulance that he restored as a memorial to his brother-in-law who died in the D-Day invasion of World War II as a member of the 20th division, 175th Battalion, K-company.

He said he was bothered by the fact that the artwork critical of the nation and the military was in the Department of Justice facility.

“People who made that garbage have the right to do it, but not in a public building,” said Schaefer.

That was a sentiment echoed by Pamela Barnett who served in the U.S. Army for 11 years.

She carried a sign that read: “Don’t use my money for Un-American Art.”

Move America Forward said the artwork submitted to the “I LOVE AMERICA” exhibit would be shipped to troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan along with coffee and cookies.

The organizers have sent over 6-tons of coffee and thousands of boxes of cookies as part of the “Coffee and Cookies for Our Troops” program they operate in conjunction with Sacramento roaster, Cornerstone Coffee.

PHOTO GALLERY

Mark Williams from KFBK at the protest.

Mark Washburn addressing a crowd of supporters.

Supporters of Steve Pearcy and his art work present art of their own.

George Schaefer speaks to the crowd about patriotism.

Donald LaCombe leads a group in a rally chant.

Anti-Bush protestors show their feelings.

Pamela Barnett presents her own artwork.